Phoenix Reborn
by A Tragic Galaxy
Summary: A short in-between for Rising Phoenix. Laurence and Darra are just settling down to a normal life when the Council requests Laurence's aid in the war. How can Laurence,  aka Anakin , return to the temple with 2 kids after avoiding the Jedi for so long?
1. How to Deal With an Irrational Father

**It was really weird watching AOTC while writing this. It wasn't my plan, but my brothers insisted on seeing it. So here I am, transferring to ROTC, and going over the same scenes I wrote about several weeks ago. Eesh, I keep expecting Laurence to pop up all over the place.**

**This story is a short transition plot that will lead into the ROTC arc.**

**...**

Laurence paced across the floor. Back and forth and back again, he reckoned he had traversed this stretch at least a thousand times.

"Hah. First time as a father, kid?" a kiffar with long silver hair questioned as he watched Laurence stride across the room once more.

Laurence nodded and ran a hand through his hair again, noting absently that it was about time he gave it another dye job.

The kiffar laughed. "Always the same. I was a nervous reck when my first kid was born. I probably drove all the nurses mad by the time it was over."

"How many kids do you have?" Laurence asked.

"This will be the third," the man responded. "Name's Taligon," he added by means of introduction.

"Laurence," the former Jedi nodded.

Just then the door swished open and Siri popped her head out. "Laurence, Darra says you're making her nervous. Stop pacing and sit down before you wear a hole in the floor."

"Is she okay?" Laurence asked quickly as he rushed over.

Siri held up a hand. "Darra is fine. You on the other hand are making everyone jumpy. Don't make me sedate you just to give us some peace of mind."

"But why is it taking so long?" Laurence practically shouted in exhasperation. "It's been over two hours!"

"You can't rush babies," Siri rolled her eyes and pointed to a chair. "Sit. Now."

Laurence mumbled something about bossy Jedi and sat down. Thirty seconds later he was pacing again.

"It never gets any better," Taligon shrugged. "The only reason I'm not wearing the floor through is because my wife bribed the medics to put glue on my chair. Literally."

Laurence chuckled. "I'd better hope Darra never thinks of the same thing."

Just then the door slid open again. "Congratulations, Taligon," a smiling yellow twi'lek announced. "You have a beautiful baby girl."

"Wonderful!" Taligon cheered. "Can I have another pair of pants now?"

The medic laughed. "Don't worry, we'll get you those right away. I'll be back in a minute."

Taligon rubbed the back of his neck and grinned sheepishly. "This is so embarassing." Looking to Laurence he commented, "This is the third girl. I was kind of hoping for a boy, but I know the little one will be a dear. What do you think your child will be?"

Laurence shrugged as he continued striding back and forth. "Darra won't tell me, and she won't even let me guess." In fact, Darra wouldn't let Laurence anywhere near her if she suspected he had unlatched his force binder. It was downright annoying sometimes. Laurence didn't know why she wanted it to be a surprise anyways. It would certainly be easier to name a baby if you knew what it was going to be.

"You hoping for a boy or girl?" Taligon asked.

Laurence shrugged his shoulders again. "I'm not sure. Either one will be wonderful."

Taligon smiled. "That's the spirit, kid."

Laurence rolled his eyes at the term 'kid.' He'd been stuck with that unofficial nickname since Naboo, and he knew he wasn't about to lose it.

The door swished open again, and this time Siri's face appeared. "Laurence, it's a boy. You can come see him now."

Laurence nodded calmly, turned around, and gave a whoop of joy.

"I'm a father!" he shouted as he leapt in the air.

"You're going to be stuck on the couch for a week if Darra hears you scream like that again," Siri lectured. "Honestly, she just gave birth! Try keeping it down a little."

Laurence grabbed Siri in a quick a hug and dashed down the hall.

"Laurence, that way!" Siri's said in exhasperation as she pointed down one of the corridors.

Laurence grinned sheepishly and ran off in the direction she had indicated. Once again he was hopelessly lost as he searched the room numbers, forcing Siri had to guide him to the right place.

"Darra?" Laurence asked softly as he entered the room.

Darra opened her eyes wearily, her face streaked with sweat but jubilant. "Laurence," she smiled.

Laurence ran to Darra's side and stroked the tangled blond hair out of her face. "I was so worried," he whispered.

"I could tell," Darra replied dryly. "They told me you wore off the floor wax."

Laurence chuckled and kissed Darra gently. "How are you feeling?"

"What kind of question is that?" Darra said sharply. "And they told me this was an easy pregnancy!"

Laurence grinned and ignored the rebuke. "Where's the baby?" he asked one of the medical droids. It waved a robotic hand towards another droid, who brought a cloth wrapped bundle over.

Laurence stood up slowly and took the bundle from the droid. Sleeping peacefully in his arms was his newborn son. Laurence gazed at the tiny face, enraptured by the new life he held in his hands.

"Well?" Darra asked with a weak smile.

Laurence shook his head, not trusting his voice. "He's perfect," he whispered. Laurence knelt down next to Darra so she could see the baby. "I'm so proud of you, Darra." He grinned sheepishly as he remembered something. "You know, we never thought of a name for him."

Darra gave him an entreating look. "I always liked the name Ferus."

Laurence grimaced. "Ferus! After my old rival? You've got to be joking!"

Darra's gaze shifted to the side. "You two were a lot more alike than you realize, Laurence. Besides," she added, "He _was_ my friend, even if you always hated him."

Laurence sighed and stood up. "While we're at it let's just call him 'Anakin' after 'you-know-who.' What made you decide you liked the name Ferus anyways?"

Darra shrugged. "It's just that he's been such an important part of our past," she replied. "Him, Tru, us. I miss him."

Laurence rolled his eyes. "I don't believe this," he muttered. Looking down, he couldn't resist the disapointment on Darra's face. "Oh, all right," Laurence gave in. "You can call him _Ferus_." Studying the sleeping child in his arms, he chuckled. "You know, it might just fit. He's already acting like the perfect angel."

Darra smiled softly. "Thank you, Anakin."

Laurence knelt and kissed her again. "Well, if it means so much to you, then Ferus Skywalker it will be."

Darra's smile faded. "Ferus Stalin, you mean."

Laurence sighed, then shook his head. "In name, yes. But at heart he'll always be a Skywalker."

Darra laughed slightly. "Since when did you become a poet?" she teased.

"Since he overstayed his welcome," Siri's voice broke in as she entered. "All right, Flyboy, it's time my padawan got some rest."

Darra rolled her eyes. "I'm not a Jedi, Siri."

"Not another word," Siri ordered. "The nurse will be here in another minute to back my orders. Laurence, go find yourself an apartment or stay in the waiting room for the night. I don't want to see you within twenty feet of this room until morning."

"And stop pacing," Darra moaned as she leaned back on the pillows. "You're making _me_ nervous."

Laurence flushed. "Oh. Sorry about that." As the medical droid began to take Ferus, he pleaded, "Can't I hold him just a little longer?"

"You'll have plenty of time to do that later on," Siri raised her eyebrows. "Trust me, get some sleep while you can. It's going to be a rare treat from now on."

Laurence sighed and relinquished his son to the droid. His son. He was a father!

"Don't!" Siri warned before he could start shouting it to the world again.

Laurence rolled his eyes in response. Turning to Darra, he softly kissed her forehead. "Get some rest. You deserve it."

"If my husband will let me," Darra winked.

Laurence smiled and quietly left the room. Once in the waiting room, he gave another whoop of joy.

"You still screaming about it?" Taligon asked from his chair. Sighing, he muttered, "When are they going to get those pants over here?"

... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...

Watching the sunbeams fade off the Jedi Temple, Laurence smiled at his two-week-old son and reminisced the time he had viewed a similar sunset at age seventeen. In three years he had gone from a temple runaway to a queen's guardian to a proud father. He'd worked for the angel he'd dreamed of for years, lost her to his clone, and had the chance to realize he'd been ignoring someone who meant even more to his heart.

Looking down at little Ferus, Laurence could only thank the force for the day he walked away from the temple. Ferus blinked sleepily at his father, his blue eyes appearing more prominent due to his dark hair. The boy had hardly made a sound since his birth. The medical droids had been concerned for a while, but Laurence was positive it was because Ferus was living up to his namesake. Already he was becoming a annoyingly perfect child.

Gazing towards the temple once more, Laurence considered the future. Even with the force binder, he could sense Ferus's power. Despite his misgivings, Laurence knew it would be better for his son to be trained at the temple. He didn't want to abandon Ferus to the Jedi though. Laurence was the boy's father, and he was going to be the one to raise him. If the Jedi refused to accept these conditions, then Laurence would train Ferus himself.

Leaning back against the balcony pillar, Laurence wondered if Darra would consider returning to the temple. He knew she missed the Jedi life, even if she didn't admit it to anyone. If Darra was a Jedi, then perhaps the council would be more welcome to the idea of Ferus training at the temple and returning home after his studies. Perhaps they would even let Darra be his master.

Unexpectedly Laurence's comlink beeped, and he muttered in Huttese at the interruption. He was surprised to see that it was the temple frequency.

"Hello?" Laurence's brow furrowed as he shifted Ferus so he could hold him with one hand.

"Laurence?" Mace Windu's voice crackled over the comlink. "The council wishes to speak with you as soon as it is convinient."

"Well, obviously now isn't the best time," Laurence rolled his eyes. "What do you want to see me for?"

"I understand you and Darra have a new son," Mace Windu explained, "But more and more we're finding we do not have enough Jedi to lead the cloned armies. I know of your skills with the force _and_ lightsaber. The council is requesting that you and Darra lend your aid to the war effort."

"Great banthas and tuk'ata," Laurence whispered as he sunk into a chair. "You're asking _me_ to go back - I mean - to go to the temple?"

Inwardly he cursed himself for his mistake. There had always been an advantage to Laurence's silent role as Queen's Guardian; he didn't have to worry about accidently letting something slip.

"Laurence, we _need_ you in this war," Mace Windu insisted. "Your fighting and piloting skills are highly praised by Senator Amidala. They're neccessary now more than ever. This isn't just for the Senator this time, Laurence. The entire galaxy is dependent on who wins this war."

Laurence shook his head. "You've got to be kidding me. I've got a two week old kid here, Darra left the temple a year ago, and you expect us to just get up and join the war?"

"I understand your concern, Laurence. Many families are facing the same problem." Then Windu dropped the killer. "But what will you do if we lose this war, and your son is raised in a war torn galaxy? How will you and Darra deal with things then?"

"You know, for being a Jedi, you're a lot like a politician," Laurence complained. He sighed heavily. "I have to talk to Darra about this. I'll let you know tommorrow."

"We will wait for your decision," Mace Windu replied.

Laurence shook his head and turned off the comlink.

"What was that about?" Darra asked as she entered the room.

Laurence stared outside a moment before answering. "The council wants you to return to the temple. They want our help in the war."

Darra caught the hint. "_Our_ help?"

Laurence nodded. "They want me to lead their armies. They said they needed my experience."

"What about the baby?" Darra pointed out.

"He's powerful in the force," Laurence said softly. "Even with the binder I can tell." Looking up, he met Darra's eyes. "Ferus needs to be trained, Darra. He has too much potential to be ignored."

"Will they take him?" Darra asked.

"I'm not sure why they wouldn't," Laurence answered. "Especially if you're at the temple."

Darra didn't diguise the hope that lit up in her eyes. Then her face fell. "But what about you? Laurence, what will you do if you return there?"

Laurence sighed and leaned back. "I don't know, Darra. I never... I never thought I'd even consider going back."

Deep inside, Laurence desperately wanted to take Mace Windu up on his offer. He longed to be a Jedi again. On the other hand, how could he return after four years of avoiding the temple? Laurence was torn between which way to go.

It seemed that fate had already decided that for him, however. Ferus needed to be trained as a Jedi, and returning would mean that Darra could take her place at Siri's side once more. Laurence knew it was only a matter of time before he joined the war. Already the Senate had requested several times for his aid. If Laurence signed up under the Jedi, there should be no complaints about him seeing to Ferus's upbringing.

"Darra," Laurence finally said as he stared into the twilight. "I think I'm about to get myself into something that's way over my head."

He was going back to the temple.

**.. ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... .. ... ... ... ... ... .. ... ... ... ... ... ...**

** Review! It appears that an unofficial contest has been started between Rising Phoenix and my newest story for Naruto. Both stories are becoming rather popular, and I enjoy updating each of them. Reviews are really the big thing that will decide which story gets updated fastest. (So far Rising Phoenix is winning in that particular area, but be warned, a lot of people seem to be liking the other story as well.)**

** There are two more chapters planned for this section, with possibly a bonus chapter for Teff. After that things will transfer to ROTC.**


	2. Kids and Catastrophes

**Author's Note and Questions Answered:**

** This is very hard to work with. I'm getting so many fans for both Rising Phoenix and Raising a Raven, and I want to update both of them at the same time. I keep switching to one story and writing a little part before returning to the other one. You guys are such wonderful fans!**

** - Floating Leaves: (Question) "**But why didn't he (Laurence) just come out and tell them that he's not the clone? Did he want to keep his life as Laurence Stalin, former Queen's Guardian and security guard instead of Anakin Skywalker, Jedi and Chosen One?"

**As a matter of fact, that's exactly why Laurence told no one about the clone. Of course, one important reason was also because he didn't want to hurt Padme when she found out who she was marrying (and remembering Rex and the others, there's nothing in my opinion to say that marrying a clone is bad), but a large part of it was because he didn't want to return to the same lifestyle he had run away from. Laurence might be different since he left the temple, but that doesn't mean that circumstances have changed. Besides, it'd be kind of akward to pop up out of the blue and claim to be Anakin Skywalker after four years of hiding.**

** Does that all make sense or am I still leaving my readers in the dark in that particular area? :)**

** - AndrossKenobi: Don't worry, there are no Obidala pairings in this story. :) Maybe someday I'll write one for Phantom Menace, but it's hard to think of Padme marrying someone other than Anakin.**

** - Floating Leaves: Did I really say ROTC? I keep putting that down by accident because it was a class my brother took in high school. Sorry about the confusion. :o**

** Thanks for all the reviews!**

** ...**

_...2 years later..._

**.**

**.**

"Daeey!"

Laurence grinned as he leaned against the doorway and watched the floating wooden blocks topple around Ferus. The one-year-old crawled as fast as his legs could pump and threw his arms around Laurence's leg.

"Hi, Ferus," Laurence laughed as he scooped the dark haired child up. "Has he been behaving?" he asked the falleen, Lornala, who was watching the nursery.

"As good as gold," Lornala reassured him. "Not a single tear or sign of pouting while you were gone."

"Why am I not surprised," Laurence muttered. Ferus never seemed to get into trouble.

A little over a year ago, the Jedi had requested the aid of Laurence and Darra in the war. They had accepted after some consideration, but Laurence had almost walked right out again the moment he bumped into Obi-wan. Too many memories were associated with this place.

As it was however, Laurence realized that working with the Jedi had its advantages. Instead of the full time commission he could expect from the Coruscant piloting force, Laurence and Darra's time was split between the temple life and frequent missions at the warfront. A couple of the Laurence's missions had taken him away from the temple for longer than a month, but due to her mother's status Darra had a more lenient schedule.

Both parents were grateful for the chance to look after their son and protect his future at the same time. The council had even set up their missions so that one of them could always be at the temple. Laurence had just returned from his mission to Malastar, and Ferus had only been alone at the temple for two days while Darra journeyed to Naboo.

"Well, it looks like it's just you and me for the next couple weeks," Laurence sighed as he adressed his child. Ferus smiled and leaned his head against his father's shoulder.

Laurence grinned. "Do they stay this cute, or am I going to miss this in a couple years?" he jokingly asked Lornala.

The Jedi shrugged. "It really depends on their personality. Some kids cling to their loved ones and must be taught to let go, and others instinctively hold back." Tilting her head to the side, Lornala commented, "You know, you're actually the first father I've seen in here. I'm not saying it hasn't happened before of course, but it's just... rare."

"Because the kids are taught not to have attachments," Laurence nodded. He understood the system, and heartily disagreed with it. Being allowed to raise Ferus had been the one condition Laurence and Darra had refused to back down on when discussing their terms with the council. Laurence was more than glad he'd made that decision.

Meanwhile at the other side of the room, there was a clatter of pans as a visiting five-year-old accidently levitated them too high and dropped them on herself. The child was unhurt, but her cries required Lornala's immediate attention. Laurence decided he'd hung around long enough and took his leave of the place.

Walking through the temple halls had been a naseous experience when Laurence had first come back. Flashes of his old life had continually bombarded him, leaving him gasping for breath mentally. Darra had been there for support, but it was still a difficult time for Laurence. Nowadays he was able to _nearly_ stride through the halls as easily as if he were in the royal palace. There was still a great deal of tension though, and over the course of a year more than one Jedi Master had sensed it and suggested Laurence try meditating a little every day.

Laurence's immediate response was always "_bleh!" _As soon as Darra found out, she threatened to ban him to the couch unless he promised to meditate one hour every day. The 'sit and do nothing' method didn't help with Laurence's tension though. He was continually distracted into browsing a holonet guide or playing with Ferus, and if there was nothing else to do he simply stared at the wall and mentally counted off the seconds until the hour was up. Darra insisted he was a hopeless cause, but that didn't keep her from trying.

Ferus on the other hand was thriving in the temple. Already his force abilities were leaving the Council shaking their heads, saying he was already ahead of the second year classes when it came to that area. Darra was considering teaching Ferus to read early, seeing as he seemed to catch on to everything so fast.

"Why couldn't I just have a normal child," Laurence muttered. It wasn't like he minded Ferus's capabilities. He loved the kid too much to allow it to bother him. Sometimes Laurence just wanted a break from the Jedi life though. He'd been slam-dunked back into the temple by a clever twist of fate, and with his son being as powerful as he was, there was no way to back out of it.

"You're going to be perfect, aren't you?" Laurence asked Ferus as the boy fiddled with his father's leather vest. "You'll be an innocent angel, a powerful force wielder, and from the looks of things you'll probably be a stud on top of it." Allowing a whine into his voice, Laurence complained, "Did you _have_ to live up to your namesake that much?"

Ferus giggled and tried to use the force to grab a passing Jedi's lightsaber. He only managed to lift it for a short time, and it dropped with a clatter as soon as it left the Jedi's belt.

"Oop," Ferus's face turned bright red.

"Oh, you wanted this?" Laurence rolled his eyes as Anakin Skywalker bent over and picked up his lightsaber. Handing it to Ferus, Anakin grinned as the child studied it with wide eyes.

"Careful, he'll drop it again," Laurence warned. "His hand-eye coordination needs a little practice."

"You know, he looks just like his Mom," Anakin commented as he used the force to dangle the lightsaber hilt above Ferus's head. Ferus cackled and tried to grab it. "Except his eyes though. They're obviously yours."

"Yeah," Laurence chuckled. "I don't know _where_ he got the hair color from though. Must have been from his grandmother."

Laurence didn't realize his slip-up about the hair color, nor did he notice Anakin's suspicious glance. Right then his attention was distracted as an electric blue tornado raced around the corner.

"Anakin you've gotta hide me he's gonna kill me I didn't mean to you've got to get me out of here it was just a little prank Master Yoda's gonna kill me for this!"

Anakin knelt down and put a hand over Teff's mouth. "What happened?"

"I didn't mean to it was just a science experiment you know we're studying the quantum forces of some sort of element and a green powder well it went wrong and Raynar pushed me and I... _sort of dropped it on Master Yoda's head_." Teff's voice faded and he twisted his turqoise tunic.

The bright colored outfit was another "accident" that had happened when Teff strangely decided he needed to bring his whole closet to a nearby dye factory. After the incident occured twice, Mace Windu gave up and allowed the boy to continue wearing the unorthadox color.

Teff's head darted up again as panic filled his eyes. "So anyways I gotta go Master Windu's gonna kill me and he already threatened to send me back to Kamino and I'm already grounded and he's gonna make me meditate for a month! You gotta get me outta here!"

"Whoah, whoah, _wait._ Calm down," Anakin insisted. "I don't think Master Windu is going to kill you over a simple science mishap."

"Um," Teff motioned for Anakin to move closer and whispered in his ear, "Master Yoda's head turned bright orange."

Anakin blanched. "Oh. You might want to try hiding in the fresher for the next few hours."

The blue haired boy sighed and checked his holowatch. "I hafta get my shots in an hour," he warned gloomily. "I guess Master Windu will find me then."

"You know, running away isn't going to deal with the problem," Laurence spoke from his own experience. "It'll be better for you if you just go and face it."

"I know, I know," Teff whined. "Obi-wan keeps telling me the same thing."

"Maybe you should listen to him," Laurence said softly.

Teff stared up at him, then came to one of his usual snap decisions. "Okay!" He ran back down the corridor before anyone could stop him.

Laurence scratched his head. "Funny, I don't recall saying anything special."

Anakin grinned. "Teff's always that way. He's been running Obi-wan ragged since he got here."

Laurence raised an eyebrow. "I thought Mace Windu was training him."

"Nah. Teaching him to use the force, yes. But Teff is always following me and Obi-wan around. I think it's good for Obi-wan. He gets too mundane otherwise."

Laurence rolled his eyes, pleading for mercy for his former master. "I'd better head back," he excused himself. "Darra expects Ferus to take a nap about this time, and she'll be most displeased if she hears I've been keeping him awake."

Anakin chuckled in response, then asked somberly, "Are you _sure_ Ferus gets the hair from _just _his grandmother?"

"Huh?"

Anakin gave him a weird look and walked away, leaving a confused Laurence in his wake.

Laurence's eyes widened as he realized what Anakin was talking about. "Oh, great," he muttered as he ran a hand through his raven waves.

... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...

"I really miss you, Darra," Laurence said fondly as he held the comlink with one hand and rescued one of his wife's favorite knick knacks from Ferus with the other.

"Well, you'll be relieved to know I'll be coming home early," Darra said with a laugh in her voice. "How's Ferus?"

"Oh, just fine," Laurence said ruefully as Ferus yawned and curled up on the floor. "He's been so behaved I've hardly had to do anything but feed him and put him to bed the entire week. I can't believe he's my own son sometimes. You wouldn't believe how happy I was to find him trying to take apart your lamp today."

"You mean the one I bought on Alderaan? The one you claimed was a frivolous waste of money?"

Laurence grinned at her panicked tone. "Aren't possessions forbidden in the Jedi Code?"

"Says the man who keeps a thousand droids locked in the basement," Darra shot back.

Laurence chuckled. "Touche. Don't worry, Ferus didn't even scratch the paint. That's what has me worried though. Do you mind if I start teaching him a couple lessons in misbehavior? I think he's got the responsibility part down pretty well."

"Don't even think about it!" Darra warned instantly. "Besides, you'll be getting another little bucket of badness soon enough. Didn't you catch what I said about coming home early?"

"Uh... what?" Laurence was baffled. What did that have to do with Ferus getting into trouble?

Darra sighed in exhasperation. "Laurence, I'm _pregnant!_"

Laurence blinked. "Really?"

"Ugh! Are you that daft?"

"No, I mean, that's great!" Laurence said hurriedly as he jumped up and began to pace around the room. "When did you find out? How long? Do the Jedi know about it?"

"Please, one question at a time," Darra laughed. "I just found out this morning. I checked up with one of the doctors and they say I have about eight months left. Yes, I contacted the Jedi and requested permission to cut the mission early. As soon as they have someone to fill my place, I'll be coming home for good."

Laurence grinned. "Ferus will like that. Of course, _I'll_ appreciate it even more."

"Oh, I'm sure you will," Darra purred. "That is, until the Jedi call you out for _your_ next mission."

"You really know how to ruin someone's day," Laurence pouted.

Darra laughed again. "All right, Flyboy, I'd better get off now. Captain Ripho's troops are waiting for further orders."

"You take care of yourself, Darra," Laurence answered seriously. "We'll be waiting for your next call."

"Give Ferus my love," Darra responded. "I miss you, honey."

"I miss you too," Laurence said with a smile before the connection ended. Sighing, he turned back to Ferus.

"You couldn't have even tried to tear up the wallpaper while I was talking?"

... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...

**Two more chapters before ROTS. :) **

** (If a lot of people like Phoenix Reborn, I might do another series of one shots about Laurence's kids when I'm finished with the ROTS arc.)**

** R - E - V - I - E - W - ! - :)**

** :D**


	3. You wanted trouble

..._One year, 8 months..._

Laurence paced around the waiting room, wondering what was taking so long. For six hours Darra had been in labor, and the medics were beginning to wonder if they would have to operate. Laurence was glad he had left Ferus at the Jedi Temple for the day. It was long past the youngster's bedtime by now, and Laurence would have been loathe to leave Darra's side. The one comfort he took was that once again Siri had come along to be there with her padawan. She frequently reported to Laurence how his wife was doing, and promised to call him in if things appeared to be getting serious.

Although he wasn't in danger of 'wearing a hole in the floor' like last time, Laurence had still managed to scuff up the tile polish by the time an unearthly scream split the air. Furious and indignant, the cry could only mean one thing.

The door swished open and Siri poked her head around it. "Laurence, you'd better get in here. _ Your son_ is going to shatter the equipment at this rate."

Laurence dashed inside, this time reaching the right door. He smiled slightly as he remembered his last attempt to find Darra's room when Ferus was born.

The screams hightened in intensity as the door opened, and Laurence stepped back in surprise as a medical droid whirred over and plunked a red faced infant in his arms. Instantly the boy calmed down. Laurence stared at the child and wondered how such a tiny thing could have created so much noise. The infant was far smaller than Ferus had been when he was born, and Laurence listened with slight trepidation as the medical droid recorded six pounds for the newborn's weight.

"You wouldn't believe it was possible, with the hard time he gave me," Darra joked lightly from the bed. Laurence sighed and sat down in a nearby chair, taking in Darra's worn out appearance.

"I was worried," he replied, his face showing his concern.

Darra smiled weakly but remained silent. The labor had taken more out of her than last time, and she was thoroughly exhausted.

Laurence sighed softly and watched his newborn son open his eyes. Surprisingly clear, the rust colored irises were identical to Darra's.

"I suppose you want to call him Obi-wan this time?" Laurence asked teasingly, remembering the last time Darra picked the baby name.

Darra's lips twitched at the corners. "Your turn."

Laurence smiled at the now silent child in his arms. He thought for a while, ill prepared for the task.

"You know, Mom always liked the name Jamie," Laurence finally commented. "She often said that if she'd had another son, she would have named him that."

Darra tilted her head to the side. "I like Jamie."

"It's better than 'Ferus,'" Laurence griped.

Darra lightly hit his arm. "Stop that," she murmered with a tease in her voice.

Laurence chuckled and stood to leave. "It looks like Siri's about to kick me out, so I'll leave you to rest."

"Say hi to Ferus for me," Darra requested.

"Only if you aren't back by then," Laurence responded as he kissed her lightly. "I love you, Darra."

"You too, Laurence... and Jamie." Darra stroked the infant's head lightly before falling back against the pillows. Laurence felt a brief flash of concern, then was comforted to see that she had merely fallen asleep.

"I know, I know," Laurence rolled his eyes as one of the medical droids came to take Jamie.

As soon as Laurence began to let go, Jamie began howling at the top of his lungs. Laurence's eyes widened and he held the infant close again. Siri shook her head as Jamie's cries ceased and he closed his eyes contentedly.

"Well, that's going to present a problem isn't it?" she tutted. "It looks like you got your wish for a troublemaker."

"Can I stay with him?" Laurence pleaded. "Just to keep him quiet?"

"From the looks of things you have no choice," Siri shook her head. "You'd better get started on those 'learn to let go' lessons early, or he's never going to detatch from you."

... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...

_3 months later... _

Laurence groaned and pulled a pillow over his head as Jamie's wails began tearing through the house.

"Honey, your turn," Darra murmered.

"It's three in the morning," Laurence grumbled. "Can't he sleep through the night just _once_?"

"You wanted a normal kid," Darra reminded him.

Laurence rolled his eyes and grabbed his jacket against the cooler night air. Ignoring the fact that he was barefoot, he made his way towards Jamie's room. Taking a quick look into Ferus's bedroom, he saw the two year old curled up with his pillow over his ears.

"Can't 'leep!" Ferus complained with a pitiful expression.

"Don't worry, I'll take care of it," Laurence reassured him before going to the next room. Yawning and nearly tripping as his pant let caught on one of Jamie's toys, Laurence reached down and scooped his tiny son up from his crib.

Jamie choked back another sob and leaned his head against Laurence's shoulder.

"I know, I know," Laurence comforted as he paced around the littered room. "Can't stand to be away from everyone."

Jamie sniffed and looked up at Laurence, his eyes incredibly bright and clear despite his young age. Laurence could swear his son understood more of what was going on around him than most infants his age. Jamie was incredibly sensitive to the force, perhaps even more than Ferus. Laurence dreaded the idea of taking him to the temple, however. What Jamie seemed to have missed out on in size, he made up for in commotion and the ability to twist his Daddy around his little finger. Jamie was already sitting up on his own, and Darra swore he was going to be running the Jedi ragged by the time he was two. How he would manage that was beyond Laurence's comprehension, but stranger things had happened in his family.

Laurence sighed and began pacing slowly around the room. Jamie gave a huge yawn and snuggled up against his Daddy, curling his tiny fingers around Laurence's jacket with one hand and sticking his thumb in his mouth. Obviously he wasn't about to get down anytime soon. Realizing he was in for a long wait, Laurence used his foot to shove a pile of clothes and toys off a chair. Leaning back in it, he had to smile at the content look on his child's face. Despite the sleepless nights Jamie tormented his parents with, Laurence wouldn't trade his son for anything in the galaxy.

... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...

"Do I want to know?"

Obi-wan folded his arms at the sight of thirteen year old Teff. The blue clad clone was sprawled out on the floor of the Room of a Thousand Fountains, his mouth open in a snore and his mind oblivious to the fact that he was lying halfway in one of the fountains.

Quinlan Vos shook his head in disbelief. "I don't understand how he manages it."

"What exactly happened in here?"

Vos shrugged. "Mace Windu was on a mission. I got stuck with the kid. Go figure."

Obi-wan raised an eyebrow. "That doesn't exactly answer my question."

Vos sighed in frustration and rubbed his forehead. "What do you do with a hyperactive padawan who runs into walls at twenty miles per hour and thinks cleaning droids are a new means of transportation?"

"You did make sure he took his medication, didn't you?" Obi-wan was glad to say that Teff's medicine intake _and_ anger level had dropped by half since his training under the Jedi began. Despite this, the teenager was still highly liable to get out of control at times.

"Oh, yes," Vos replied immediately. "I can't imagine I would have survived if he hadn't. Has it ever stopped him, though?"

"What _did_ you have him do?" Obi-wan asked. "He can't have calmed down by himself, not this early."

"It's _nighttime_, Obi-wan. How late do you expect him to keep running around the halls?"

Obi-wan smiled. "You have no idea."

Vos sighed and leaned back against a pillar. "To put it simply, I had him scrub out the entire first level hallway, run around the practice room a hundred times, dodge blaster bolts for an hour, evade a tracking droid for two hours outside the temple, and run another hundred laps around the fountains. Basically I managed to exhaust him before he completely wore me out. How do the council ever expect to complete his training?"

"He was worse when he first came here," Obi-wan pointed out.

"If this is considered an improvement, then I pity Mace," Vos replied. "First thing tommorrow I'm going to request the council to assign another Jedi to help. If I get stuck alone with this kid for an entire month, I'm likely to join the dark side just to save my sanity."

Obi-wan chuckled. "You won't be the first to consider that. Shouldn't you wake him? It's probably long past his bed time."

Vos gave him a skeptical look. "If all that water hasn't kept him from going out cold, I doubt anything I do will make any impression." Sighing, Vos shook Teff's shoulder vigorously. When the padawan remained oblivious to the world, Vos hauled him to his feet and threw him across his shoulders.

"Tell me this isn't going to be a common occurence from now on," Vos complained.

Obi-wan smiled. "I'm sure you'll manage somehow."

Vos shot him a dark glare. "So help me I'll personally request for the council to assign _you_ to the kid."

Obi-wan blanched, earning a chuckle from Vos. "Actually, I believe the council already has a mission planned for me."

"Or you wish they did," Vos corrected. Shaking his head again, he excused himself and left for the medical center with Teff.

Obi-wan wandered around the room for a while, letting the sound of the fountains soothe his thoughts as he mulled over the clones of the Chosen One.

**...**

** Wow, I never imagined I'd get **_**this**_** many reviews for a transfer story. Thank you everyone! Sorry this is a little short. I will probably do one more chapter, then head into the ROTS arc.**

** - Okay, before anyone asks, I don't know where I came up with the name "Jamie." Here's how it kind of came about; As impossible as it seems, the plot with Laurence was originally created as a side plot for something small to mull over one day. Amazingly, it turned into Rising Phoenix. The same thing happened with Jamie and Ferus. The children were created for a quickie plot for Last of the Jedi, so I didn't think much about the names. After a while I liked them so much that they became a part of the story. **

** - According to Wookiepedia, Vos turned to the dark side before this time. Sadly, my older sister fell in love with his picture and convinced me he was a cool Jedi. I hated the turn his life took and decided to chage things a bit and leave him in the temple. :)**


	4. The Art of Raising Jamie

_... 3 years ..._

By now most of the Jedi had gotten used to the sight of Laurence running through the temple halls. Although it was ever a disturbance to the once peaceful atmosphere, most of the Jedi had learned to tolerate it... or at least pretend to.

Laurence dodged between two Jedi who were walking serenely through the hall. He called an apology over his shoulder, swerved to avoid Aayla Secura, and skidded to a stop outside the room of a thousand fountains. Master Yoda's eyes blinked open as he saw Laurence's frantic appearence.

"Lost something, have you?" Yoda inquired with a touch of humor in his raspy voice.

"Have you seen Jamie anywhere?" Laurence asked as he ran a hand through his hair in agitation. This was the fifth time in a month that one-year-old Jamie had scrambled off without his Daddy's knowledge. Most babies weren't suppose to _walk_ at this age, let alone crawl on all fours at top speed.

Yoda smiled. "Missing your child again, young Stalin? Very irresponsible. How embarrassing this must be."

Laurence rolled his eyes and raked a hand through his hair again. "Look, I just want to know if you've seen Jamie. How that kid gets away is beyond me."

Yoda merely chuckled. "Youngling," he called over his shoulder. A shrill giggle came from a potted plant.

Laurence sighed in relief and walked over, peering into the plant leaves. "All right, fun's over, twerp," he said as he scooped up young Jamie. The child giggled again, shaking his hair out of his eyes. Jamie's bronze hair grew at an astounding rate for his age, and it was already almost to his shoulders.

"Spying on the Masters, utterly shameful," Yoda shook his head in mirth.

"Yes, well he's going home for his nap now," Laurence answered. "What did you think you were doing?" he scolded his son gently. "Don't you know I get worried when you run off like that?"

Jamie bent his head down in shame and looked up at Laurence through long lashes. Laurence shook his head in defeat. He could never stay angry at his son for long. Jamie grinned as though realizing that and scrambled up Laurence's shoulder. Squirming into his Daddy's hood, he clutched Laurence's neck with one arm and stuck his thumb in his mouth.

Laurence smiled. "He's been doing that since he was old enough to climb," he told Yoda. "I don't know how he manages it. I'm positive he'll be an athlete when he grows up. A very _short_ athlete," he added as Jamie giggled and hid his face in Laurence's hood. Despite all they had done to help his growth, Jamie was still undersized. It didn't seem to affect the child in a harmful way, but it certainly made it more difficult for his parents to find him.

"Like his father, he is," Yoda commented as Jamie peaked out at him from the safety of Laurence's hood.

Laurence chuckled. "Well, he certainly manages to get into mischief if that's what you mean."

Yoda shook his head. "Powerful in the force, I meant. Trained, he should be."

Laurence hesitated. He wasn't ready to give Jamie up to the temple life yet. He was afraid Jamie might learn as Ferus had; to let go of things. Already Ferus was more aloof from his parents than Darra and Laurence found comfortable. Laurence didn't want the same thing to happen to Jamie. He didn't want to lose the sweet little child that wrapped himself around Laurence's leg and scrambled up his shoulder squirrel-like to hide in his hood. He didn't need another Jedi. Laurence just wanted a kid.

"I'm not ready to bring him to the temple," Laurence said softly as he reached a hand back to make sure Jamie didn't fall. "Darra can see to his training if it's absolutely necessary."

Yoda shook his head, understanding but objective. "Far more powerful than many Jedi, this child is. Trained he must be, if learn to control his powers he will."

Laurence sighed heavily, looking away. "I know," he answered.

"Perhaps if trained by his father, the child will learn better," Yoda said mysteriously.

Laurence's blood ran cold. "I don't know what you're talking about," he replied. "I can't use the force."

"Young Skywalker can," Yoda hinted before shuffling away, his cane tapping on the cobblestones.

Laurence stared at the Jedi Master, mouth agape in shock. Yoda knew? But what had given him away? Stranger still, why had the Jedi not mentioned it? Could it be that Yoda was collaberating with his secret?

Letting out a shaking breath, Laurence wondered how much the Council knew. Jamie seemed to sense his Daddy's tension, as he cooed softly behind Laurence and threw his tiny arms around his neck. Laurence absently stroked his son's shoulder, wondering if everything he had thought secure was actually safe.

.. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .

"No."

"Whiiy?"

Anakin rolled his eyes. He and Obi-wan were light years away and still the kid wouldn't stop bothering them. "Do not touch my tools," he repeated.

"I won't harm them!" Teff's shrill pitch answered. "I just want to um... renovate the temple cleaning droids."

Anakin's brow furrowed. "Didn't Master Windu forbid you to do that after you geared them all to run at high speed?"

"AW, COME ON!" Teff's voice rose to a shout.

Anakin groaned and then jumped as an explosion sounded nearby. "Look, I'm in a war zone right now," he yelled into the comlink. "Go bug Yoda for a while."

"YOU'RE MEAN!" Teff shouted before turning off the comlink.

Anakin sighed and returned his comlink to his belt. Teff picked the worst times to lose his temper. Darting out from the heap of rubble he had taken refuge behind, Anakin sliced a droid in half and decapitated another.

Even as he fought, his mind was drawn to Padme. What was she doing right now? Where was she? Was she safe? Anakin blocked another blaster bolt and threw a grenade towards a group of droids, leaping backwards to avoid the flying debris from the resulting explosion. He had been away from Padme far too long. More than anything, Anakin wanted to be with her right now.

Without his knowledge, events were already being set in place for that very thing. Anakin's comlink sounded, it's signal lost in the noise of battle. The senate was in need of his help.

.. ... ... .. .. .. ... .. .. .. ..

"I don't understand," Laurence's brow furrowed as he clumsily paced around the room, trying not to kick Jamie as the boy was wrapped around his boot. "How could Grevious get past the senate guards?"

"The security cameras depicting the scene were destroyed," Mace Windu replied. "Obi-wan and Anakin have been assigned to this mission, but if Count Dooku is involved a third Jedi may be needed. The temple cannot spare any further troops at this time. We are assigning you to this mission."

"Oh, great," Laurence mumbled as he continued clomping around the room. Jamie's eyes were wide as he enjoyed the wild ride. "How soon do I need to be there?" Laurence asked as he halted momentarily.

"Obi-wan has informed us that he and Skywalker will leave immediately," Windu replied. "We request you follow as quickly as possible."

"All right, I'll need to grab a few things and drop Jamie off at the temple," Laurence answered.

"We will let Darra know," Windu replied.

Laurence nodded instinctively, "Stalin out." Switching off the comlink, he tossed it onto the chair and detached Jamie from his leg.

"Sorry, buddy," he said as he put Jamie in his 'supposedly-impossible-to-escape' playpen. "Daddy's got to get ready."

Jamie gave Laurence a reproachful look and pouted.

Laurence prided himself in his ability to resist the child's attempts to gain his attention and began collecting his gear. Jamie, realizing Daddy wasn't going to pick him up anytime soon, began talking gibberish to himself and playing with his toys.

Laurence meanwhile grabbed a medpack, several blasters, and a handful of lockpicks, placing each in their respective compartments on his belt. A last minute thought caused him to seek out his custom gloves, complete with their metal implants and lock pick compartments. Finally, Laurence grabbed the durasteel pole he had always kept on hand since fighting in the underlevels of Coruscant. He had lost the weapon in the droid factory of Geonosis, and it had taken a week of searching and several arguments with the factory guards to find it again.

"All right, time to go," Laurence said as he picked Jamie up and worked the child's arms into his tiny coat sleeves. Jamie giggled shrilly and banged two of his toys together before dropping them and clambering into Laurence's hood.

"Ready?" Laurence asked.

"Goop!" Jamie grinned and ducked beneath the black material.

Laurence smiled and shook his head. Jamie knew he was going to have to get out as soon as they got to the speeder, but that never stopped him from hiding anyways.

The ride to the temple was rather uneventful compared to some days. Jamie sang in unintelligable syllables the entire time and once he managed to unbuckle his safety harness, but otherwise the trip was relatively peaceful. Laurence found himself wishing the boy had caused a bit more trouble for him. He was always apprehensive when leaving for a mission, and he wanted to leave with the memory of Jamie acting like the little tyrant he tended to be.

At last they arrived, and Laurence was grateful to bump into Darra in one of the temple halls.

"You're leaving already?" Darra asked sadly as she pried Jamie off Laurence's neck.

"The council has determined this as a political emergency," Laurence replied with a sigh. "Hopefully it won't take long."

"It'd better not," Darra griped. "I get to watch _him_ the entire time."

Jamie gurgled and grabbed at one of the Jedi's robes as they passed. He quickly ducked into his mother's arm as he realized he was drawing attention to himself.

"Shy little guy, aren't you?" Darra teased. She looked back to Laurence. "Try not to get yourself killed."

"I promise," Laurence replied as he gave her a quick kiss. Feeling a light tug on his cloak, he looked down and saw Ferus staring up at him with solemn eyes.

"Be back soon?" the three-year-old asked.

Laurence smiled and knelt down to his son's level. Ferus looked like a miniature Jedi already, with his soulful expression and his tan robes. Laurence always felt the boy was too serious for his age.

"I'll be back as quickly as I can," Laurence reassured as he ruffled Ferus's hair. Ferus frowned and twisted his head away, then stepped forward and gave his father a tight squeeze. Laurence could feel his son's force signature brush his mind past the binder. Somehow Ferus had learned instinctively that he could reach his father's force presence despite the block, and often did so when he was feeling the most insecure.

"Don't worry," Laurence answered. "I'll be here before you know it."

"I'll take care o' Mum 'n Jamie," Ferus promised.

"You do that," Laurence smiled. "I'm sure Mom will appreciate having a man around the house to help." Honestly, his kids were too intelligent for their age. Laurence figured all the brains had come from Darra's side of the family, as he couldn't recall himself or any of his clones acting with such understanding at that age.

Standing up again, Laurence gave Darra a deep goodbye kiss. Jamie, tired of the smooching, scrunched up his nose and patted Laurence's face until his parents couldn't hold their composure any longer. "Yuh!" Jamie protested in digust.

Laurence rolled his eyes. "He can't leave us alone for five seconds?"

"You wanted a trouble maker," Darra reminded. She constantly denounced any responsibility for Jamie's antics due to this excuse.

"Fine, you win," Laurence answered and kissed her again. Picking up his durusteel pole from where he had leaned it against the wall, he ruffled Jamie's hair and waved goodbye to the three.

"Becareful!" Darra called after him.

"I will be," Laurence replied.

Jamie realized his Daddy was leaving without him and instantly started to wail.

"Laurence! I'm never going to forgive you for raising him like this!"

... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...

**And that's it for the prequel! Next up: Revenge of the Sith!**

** Also, for the reader's information, Yoda does know about Laurence. (Remember, he is a very intuitive and powerful Jedi.) Mace Windu might know as well (I haven't planned that out yet), but the rest of the Jedi will learn of this later.**


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